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The Canadia mezzo-soprano, Michèle Bogdanowicz, born and raised in Toronto, her heritage is French and Polish and she is fluent in both French and English. She holds an Honours Bachelor Degree in Music and a Diploma in Operatic Performance from the University of Toronto (1996-2002). She has received grants recognizing her talent from the Chalmers Foundation of the Ontario Arts Council, the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation, the Toronto Symphony, the Merola Opera Program (2005) and the Canadian Opera Company (August 2004-June 2006).
Michèle Bogdanowicz has taken an important place among the outstanding mezzo-sopranos of her generation. A Fellow at Ravinia’s Steans Institute for Young Artists, she was chosen to present the world premiere of songs Facing Forward, Looking Back by American composer Jake Heggie (August 2007) and as a member of the prestigious Merola Program of the San Francisco Opera, she had a resounding success as Susanna in W.A. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. She made an important debut as Béatrice in Berlioz’ Béatrice et Bénédict with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería in Mexico City (August 2014), she also presented a world premiere of songs composed for her by Canadian composer Norbert Palej at Gallery 345, these songs were featured on a recording with the Canadian Art Song Project in 2014-2015. Also that season, she appeared with the Pax Christi Chorale in J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) (December 2014), as well as with the Bach Elgar Choir in George Frideric Handel's Messiah (2013, November 2014). She was featured in the Recitals at Rosedale series, presenting a world premiere of songs composed by Elizabeth Raum (March 2015) and she sang La mère in Charpentier’s Louise with Opera in Concert (March 2015). She sang Mercédès in Georges Bizet's Carmen on the Canadian Opera Company’s mainstage as a member of the Ensemble Studio (April 2014). Other COC roles include New Ofglen in Ruders’ The Handmaid’s Tale, Hänsel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel and Gretel, Nancy in Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring and Papagena in W.A. Mozart's The Magic Flute.
Earlier seasons have included L.v. Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (2013) and the Brott Music Festival (2013) and the title role in Luisa Fernanda for Toronto Operetta Theatre (2011). Further credits include Alexander Nevsky for the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra (2010), Zweite Dame in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte for Opera Hamilton (2008), Berlioz’ Nuits d’été and Felix Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Hamilton Philharmonic (2009), G.F. Handel's Messiah for the Fanshawe Chorus London (2008) and Bach Elgar Choir, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with the Ottawa Cantata Singers (2008) and Zerlina in W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni for Pacific Opera Victoria (2007), Orchestra London (2007), Opera Lyra Ottawa (2007) and Opera Hamilton (2006). She also sang Despina in W.A. Mozart's Cosí fan tutte for Pacific Opera Victoria (April 2010) and was Cuniza in Verdi’s Oberto for Toronto’s Opera in Concert (2012).
Her activities on the concert stage include a recital at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa broadcast by CBC’s Radio Two, an appearance with the Ottawa Choral Society in “Notes from America”, and an all-Debussy programme for the Aldeburgh Connection and Russian songs for the Off Centre Music Salon. She was named a winner in the New Discovery Auditions adjudicated by Music Directors from the Montreal Symphony Chorus, Ottawa Choral Society, Choeur St. Laurent and the Cantata Singers of Ottawa. The prize included a debut recital in Ottawa. She was also a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Michèle Bogdanowicz has appeared as a soloist with many groups and festivals both nationally and internationally; among them, the renowned EMI recording artists The St. Lawrence String Quartet, the Orford Festival, the Aldeburgh Festival, the Brevard Music Center Festival, the Leith Summer Festival and the Northern Lights Music Festival in Mexico. |
